What breaks most · 2011 to 2019 model years
Chevrolet Volt problems by year
Owners have filed 1,859 safety complaints with NHTSA about the Chevrolet Volt across model years 2011 to 2019. Three years stand out: 2017 for electrical system complaints, 2013 for air bags complaints and 2012 for electrical system complaints. The quietest years are 2015, 2011 and 2014.
- Years to check closely: 2017, 2013, 2012
- Fewest complaints: 2015, 2011, 2014
- Complaints on file
- 18592011 to 2019, all trims
- Worst year
- 2017695 complaints
- Crashes reported
- 3916 fires · 37 injuries · 0 deaths
- Typical failure mileage
- 52kMedian where owners gave mileage
- Recall campaigns
- 12Across the years shown
Complaints by model year
Raw filings with NHTSA, not adjusted for how many were sold.
| Model year | Complaints | Crashes | Recalls | Most-reported component |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 49 | 2 | 1 | Electrical system (23) | |
| 245 | 6 | 2 | Electrical system (86) | |
| 308 | 8 | 3 | Air bags (161) | |
| 93 | 5 | 0 | Air bags (32) | |
| 44 | 1 | 1 | Electrical system (18) | |
| 169 | 2 | 1 | Electrical system (77) | |
| 695 | 8 | 0 | Electrical system (309) | |
| 222 | 4 | 2 | Electrical system (86) | |
| 34 | 3 | 2 | Powertrain and transmission (16) |
What fails on the 2017 Chevrolet Volt
| Component | Share of complaints | Filings | Crashes | Parts for this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical systemAlternators, starters and ignition | 44% |
309 | 4 | Shop electrical system parts for the 2017 Chevrolet Volt |
| Fuel systemFuel pumps and injectors | 34% |
233 | 3 | Shop fuel system parts for the 2017 Chevrolet Volt |
| Powertrain and transmissionTransmission parts | 32% |
219 | 0 | Shop all powertrain and transmission parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| EngineEngine gaskets and seals | 26% |
181 | 2 | Shop engine parts for the 2017 Chevrolet Volt |
| Unknown or other | 16% |
113 | 2 | — |
| Speed control and throttleThrottle and pedal sensors | 5% |
32 | 2 | Shop speed control and throttle parts for the 2017 Chevrolet Volt |
| BrakesBrake pads, rotors and calipers | 4% |
27 | 1 | Shop brakes parts for the 2017 Chevrolet Volt |
| SteeringPower steering pumps, racks and hoses | 2% |
16 | 0 | Shop all steering parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
One complaint can name more than one component, so shares add to more than 100%. "Unknown or other" is NHTSA's uncategorized bucket and is shown but never ranked.
In owners' words
Complaint narratives as filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length.
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There is a ongoing problem with the BECM on 2016-2018 volts. Mine is one of them. Contacted Chevrolet and they say my vin isn’t under the extended coverage. I believe it should be and can’t stand they won’t cover my car under warranty. Is there anything you can do?
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has had the blank screen display the vehicle is unsafe to drive. One can run out of electrical power and or gas and not know, stop on the highway and be in harms way. no turn signals, no speed indication at all, nothing. this is recall worthy! and needs to be addressed by chevy.
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Grandson was driving and went to brake to make a turn and the engine not available light came on and he had no brakes. He was unable to slow and take the turn and hit a truck in the front driver quarter panel which resulted in the car being a total loss.
How to read this page
Every figure comes from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's public complaint database, which holds every safety-related defect complaint filed by owners since 1995. We refresh it monthly and count each complaint once per component it names. Data through September 6, 2026.
NHTSA only accepts safety-related complaints. Rattles, paint, infotainment bugs and other annoyances are under-reported here, so this page is a map of what fails in ways owners consider dangerous, not a full reliability score.
Counts are raw. Use the year-over-year shape and the component mix, not the absolute numbers. Where a component maps to parts we stock, the row links to that category filtered to the year you are viewing. Air bag and seat belt complaints link to the recall checker instead, because those repairs are almost always covered.
Common questions
Which Chevrolet Volt years have the most problems?
By NHTSA complaint volume, 2017, 2013, 2012 carry the most filings on the Chevrolet Volt. The 2017 alone has 695 complaints, led by electrical system.
What is the most common Chevrolet Volt problem?
On the 2017 model year, the most-reported component is electrical system with 309 complaints. The table above lists the top components for every year.
At what mileage do Chevrolet Volt problems start?
The median mileage at failure across all Chevrolet Volt complaints that include mileage is about 52,000 miles. Older model years skew higher; the per-year figure is in the "at a glance" card.
Are these complaints verified?
No. NHTSA publishes complaints as submitted and does not investigate individual filings. Patterns across hundreds of complaints are meaningful; a single one is not.